5-Ingredient Crock Pot Tomato Beef Pasta Casserole
I’m going to go ahead and say it, if a slow cooker dinner doesn’t leave me with a real payoff, it’s not worth dragging out of the cabinet. This Five-Ingredient Crock Pot Tomato Beef Pasta Casserole is cooked with ground beef, diced tomatoes, beef broth, onion soup mix, and egg noodles, and the noodles go right in the Crock Pot at the end. I pull this one out when I need a budget-friendly supper that actually fills people up, and I like it with crackers, crusty bread, or a square of buttery cornbread.
The first time I made it, I got a little too confident and let the noodles cook too long while I was busy doing “just one more thing.” They didn’t stay pleasantly chewy, they went soft and started soaking up every bit of broth. My fix for that is simple: stick to the final 30 minutes, stir, then give it another 30 minutes, and dinner is done.
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Servings | Prep Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 minutes | 6 hours | 4 | Beginner + |
What You’ll Notice About This Recipe
This isn’t a dump-and-go dinner because you do need to brown the ground beef first, but after that it’s all slow cooker. Everything goes into one pot to cook, including the noodles, so you’re not boiling pasta in a separate pot at the end. If you have a slow cooker that will cook the beef, then it becomes a one-pot meal. Just be sure to drain the grease before adding the other ingredients.
It reminds me of Hamburger Helper-style noodles (but without the box), with that tomato-onion-beef flavor that tastes like something you grew up eating at mom’s kitchen table.
How To Make Crock Pot Tomato Beef Pasta Casserole
Start by browning the one pound of ground beef in a skillet. Once it’s cooked through, drain the grease. I like to break it up really well while it’s browning so you don’t end up with big chunks later. It also mixes more evenly into the tomatoes.
Add the two cans of tomatoes, juice and all.
Next, sprinkle the onion soup seasoning over the meat and tomatoes and pour the broth into the Crock Pot. Give everything a good stir so the onion soup mix doesn’t clump.
Cover and cook on low for 5 hours. You’ll notice it starts to smell like tomato and onion pretty early on, and by the end of the 5 hours, the broth will be darker, and the beef will be seasoned all the way through.
Add the egg noodles, then stir well to get the noodles down into the liquid. This part matters. If noodles sit up on top, they’ll cook unevenly, and you’ll end up with a few dry edges. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes.
After the first 30 minutes, stir again. Cover and cook on low for 30 more minutes. In the end, the noodles should be tender, and the mixture should thicken into a scoopable casserole.
I love to serve some crusty bread on the side of the casserole or add some Saltine crackers. I also have a delicious recipe for mozzarella cheese bread that goes great with any pasta meal.
Julie’s Tips For Making This Recipe
Do Not Overcook The Noodles
If you let the noodles go longer than the final hour, they keep soaking up liquid, and the texture turns soft and gummy. Place the noodles in after 5 hours and cook for 30 minutes. Then stir, and cook 30 more minutes, and you’re done.
Keep The Noodles Submerged
When you add the noodles, take an extra minute to press and stir them down into the liquid. The ones on top are the ones that end up half-cooked.
If It Looks Soupy At First, Leave It Alone
Right when the noodles go in, it can look like a lot of liquid. Egg noodles absorb a surprising amount as they cook, and the mixture thickens as it sits for a few minutes after cooking.
How To Store And Reheat Leftovers
You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
To reheat, warm it back up in the microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of beef broth if it’s thickened up too much. The noodles keep absorbing liquid as it sits, so that little splash brings it right back to a spoonable consistency.
Can I Cook The Noodles Longer If I Need More Time?
No, not with this one. Egg noodles go from “just right” to mushy fast in the slow cooker. If you need the timing to be looser, cook the base for the 5 hours, then wait to add the noodles until you’re truly about an hour from eating.
Can I Cook This On High Instead Of Low?
I haven’t tested this recipe on high. The timing and noodle window are tested for low temperature cooking, and slow cookers can vary a lot when you switch settings. For the texture this recipe is supposed to have, cook on low for 5 hours, then add the noodles for the final hour.
5-Ingredient Crock Pot Tomato Beef Pasta Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef cooked and drained
- 2 – 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 ounce packet onion soup mix
- 12 ounces egg noodles
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef and drain the grease.
- Add the beef, diced tomatoes, beef broth, and onion soup mix to the slow cooker. Stir well.
- Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.
- Add the egg noodles and stir well to submerge in liquid. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes.
- Stir again and cook on low for 30 more minutes.
Video
Nutrition
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